Second Chances
by Leonaria Dragonbane
Summary: Post X3 and things are not going well at the mansion. Logan is lost, Rogue is hated, Storm is confused and frustrated and a bloody body is dropped on their doorstep. Can they save him or will they lose him to the animal within. ROCTOR/ROLO
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances

This is not related to any other piece I've written, so don't make connections. Post X3 and things are not going well at the mansion. Logan is lost, Rogue is hated, Storm is confused and frustrated and a bloody body is dropped on their doorstep. Can they save him - or lose him forever to the animal within.

Storm walked out the door, the weather around the mansion a mix, mostly because of her mood, it was warm, but a soft rain was falling, although outside the mansion gates a full force blizzard was blowing. She stood, letting the warm rain fall over her, leaning her head back as each drop fell on her skin, she felt a little clearer, a little cleaner. The paperwork of running the school was overwhelming, and the missions they'd had, lately had been by and far more bloody and deadly than any prior, even Alcatraz. Logan couldn't seem to focus, Bobby had left, seeking something he couldn't find here. Kitty was buried in the computer systems and rarely came up for meals. No one was speaking to Rogue, and Storm wondered why she was even still here.

She wasn't paying attention as she walked down the porch to the gravel drive and nearly tripped over the prone form on the ground. For a moment she thought it was dead, but then it took a painful breath.

"Help...me." the bloody opening it its face, she couldn't even call it a mouth it was so mangled, the voice strangled, barely human at all.

She turned and ran to the front door, screaming for help. Logan and Pete came running and she pointed down the stairs. Logan started down but stopped half way. He popped his claws and looked around, glaring, and then fixed his eyes on the mess at the bottom of the steps.

"Ro, are you sure about this?"

"It needs help." She couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman.

"SABRETOOTH?" He roared, looking at her. Pete had already lifted the body over his shoulder and was carrying it up the steps.

"Yes, even him, if that's who it is." She said softly watching the mangled body pass her on Pete's shoulders. "If he lives through this, we will need to know who did it to him." She said as she rushed to open the elevator down to the sub levels.

"Ro..." Logan grabbed her arm. "It's not safe, he's not safe, remember the statue..."

"I remember. But if this is a place of safety for mutants, then all mutants have to be able to claim sanctuary here, even him. We cannot refuse to help them." Storm looked at him. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

She followed Pete down to the medical facility and watched as he gently laid the mangled body on a gurney. She could not believe that he was still alive. She felt more than heard Logan behind her.

"Ro, he tried to kill you, kill us...and you are going to treat him, let him come in here, a threat to all of us."

"Logan, he's always been a mercenary, sold out to the highest bidder yes, but he and Charles were friends once, and for that, yes he can come here for help if he needs it." She turned and glared at him. "You of all people should understand giving someone a chance to heal, a chance to find themselves."

Logan growled and stormed away. Hank was in side the room, and she watched as he tried to attach monitors to the shattered being on the gurney. She flinched as he couldn't find a single piece of skin to adhere the leads to. Hank looked at her and shrugged. She opened the door.

"His healing factor is not active at this time, the damage is extensive, I cannot comprehend his facility for pain that he is still conscious.. I cannot find anyplace to attach the monitors and he will have to have someone sitting with him to monitor him until either his factor becomes active or until he expires." She started at the last word, Hank thought he would die?

"I have never seen anyone in this condition survive." Hank pulled a chair up to the side of the gurney.

"Hank, I'll sit with him first." She said softly.

Hank just nodded and walked back into his office. He came out a few minutes later with a syringe. "With his factor inoperable, sedatives and analgesics should work on his system." He said as an explanation as he gently inserted the needled into the IV tube. She hadn't even noticed it, or the spot on his arm where they'd managed to find a vein that would hold the needle.

A small sound escaped him and his eyes dilated, and she knew he was asleep. She looked over the broken body before her. He had several broken ribs, she could see the bones sticking out of the bloody flesh of his chest, his face had been, removed was the only thing she could think of, but not by anything as elegant as a knife. His eyelids were gone, as were his nose and lips. The muscle lay bare no skin protecting it and had deep gouges in it. His entire body was without skin, and she knew he had to be in pure agony.

She sat in the chair, counting his heart beats, his breath, tears running down her face. No one, not even Sabretooth deserved this.

She didn't know how long she sat there, not sure what she was waiting for, when he drew a deep breath, and then it stopped. She screamed for Hank and he came in, he saw immediately what was wrong and began CPR but it was too late. His heart had stopped, his lungs were full of fluid, his body lay lifeless on the gurney.

"I was afraid of this, even his healing factor couldn't handle this."

Hank reached out to remove the IV when the heart started beating again. She watched in amazement as his bones began to knit, skin grew over the muscles, eyelids grew and closed over eyes that were still pinpointed in sleep. She watched his body relax on the gurney, pain fading as he became limp. His breathing was steady and as soon as there was skin available Hank hooked him up to the monitors. His temperature was nearly one hundred and six degrees Fahrenheit, his pulse was racing at nearly two hundred beats per minute as his body regenerated.

She quickly left the room as soon as she could force herself to move. She hoped when he woke up he wasn't going to be violent. She couldn't allow that, but the instructions that had come with the Professor's will were specific, if Sabretooth asked for help he was to be welcomed and given every chance. She walked down the hallway deep in thought.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Storm didn't even see her as she passed by, no one did these days except Logan and he wasn't paying any attention either. They all hated her for what she'd done. She wasn't so sure she didn't hate herself either. It was worse since they'd found out it was temporary, in some ways. Before people would brush her in the halls, taunt her, push her, now she was more alone than she'd been before the cure. No one spoke to her, Bobby had left the school because he didn't want to be around her anymore. Kitty had demanded to be moved out of the room with her and Jubilee didn't speak, just glared when they were in the room together.

The only person who still seemed to accept her was Hank. She stood at the window and watched him work on someone laying on the gurney. A sheet was draped over the form from the waist down and Hank was removing an IV from the arm. His body was blocking her view of who was hurt, but from the size it had to be Logan or Pete. Hank shifted as he began removing leads from the body and she saw the face. She gasped, gloved hand covering her mouth. Sabretooth. Here; and Hank was helping him. They both looked toward the window and Hank motioned her to come in.

"Ahh my erstwhile assistant has finally arrived." He said with a smile. Sabretooth just glared at her as she walked in slowly. She knew he could smell her fear and knew he was enjoying it.

"What can Ah do to help?" She asked quietly, not looking at the patient's face. Hank handed her the disposable leads as he peeled them off. She gathered all the packages and anything that wasn't a bio hazard and dropped them in the regular disposal bin.

"We will run tests on this blood sample, and you have my gratitude for your cooperation." She heard Hank tell him. She glanced up to see him nod, but his eyes were on her, not on the doctor.

"Rogue would you go upstairs and bring our guest something to eat?" Hank asked and she nodded. She hurried out the door and to the elevator. The hallways were deserted so she rushed to the kitchen, eyes darting around to avoid anyone who might be around. She opened the door, and nearly ran back out, but she had a job to do so she squared her shoulders and walked in. Kitty just ignored her, as usual, which was easier to deal with than the ugly comments from some of the younger kids. No one understood, no one had anything close to what her mutation was, and all of them blamed her for giving it up.

She opened the fridge to look for any leftovers from dinner last night. There was part of a pot roast and a bowl of stewed vegetables. She grabbed one of the guest plates and a cover and started to fill the plate. She cut off a large chunk of the meat and spooned a small portion of the vegetables on to it. She doubted he'd eat them if he was anything like Logan, but they looked nice on the plate. She grabbed a couple slices of bread and put them in a bag while the plate warmed in the microwave, all the while feeling eyes on her back. She grabbed a soda from the fridge, silverware out of the drawer and put it all on a tray. The microwave beeped and she took out the plate and set it in the middle, placing the cover on it and picked up the tray, carrying it carefully toward the swinging door.

Kitty stood there, holding the door open for her and she muttered "thanks" as she passed the other girl. Kitty just nodded and she hurried as quickly as her burden would allow down the hallway to the elevator again. Down in the metal hallway she scurried along, and at the door to the medical facility she balanced the tray on her arm to open the door.

Hank was not in the triage area and Sabretooth was sitting in a chair wearing a pair of the school sweats and a hooded jacket. She set the food down on the table next to him, and he just watched her. She took the cover off and set it on a shelf nearby.

"Thanks." He growled.

"Welcome." she said softly and turned looking for Hank. A hand grabbed her arm and she bit her lip to keep from screaming.

"What happened to you?" He asked softly, She'd only heard his voice a few times when she'd been Magneto's prisoner, and never like this.

"Ah took the Cure." She bit out, angry and knowing he was going to treat her like the others did.

He just nodded, and let her go, which surprised her more. "The blue guy is in the office." He said as he picked up his fork. She was surprised he didn't tear into the food with his hands, but just nodded and moved slowly toward the office. Someone had once told her you don't make sudden moves around a predator, and he wasn't anything else.

"Ah, Rogue," Hank said as she came into the office. "I was wondering if you would mind completing Mr. Creed's chart while I process his blood sample."

"Mr. Creed?" She asked, looking back toward the triage room.

"Yes, Victor Creed." Hank picked up the vials of blood and stood up. She stepped aside as he walked past her to the lab door.

"Sure, Hank." She whispered and sat down behind the desk. She typed in the vitals from his last check into the appropriate spots on the screen, and then looked at the information in front of her.

His date of birth was listed as 1830, his mutation was listed as feral with class five healing factor. His next of kin was listed as a brother, James Howlett. His temperature and blood pressure was high, as was his pulse rate and blood oxygen levels. He was listed as six foot seven inches high, two hundred and eighty pounds, not that he looked it, with close cropped sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and three inch claws in place of fingernails on his hands and feet.

That last bit surprised her, she'd never even thought about his feet.

She was reading Hank's notes on how he'd come in to the facility when she heard a noise at the door. He was standing there, with a strange, almost tentative, look on his face.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" He asked quietly, his voice gravely with lack of use but not menacing in any way.

"Tha door next to tha bio hazard disposal box, tha red one." She said from behind the computer. He gave her a strange look again and turned walking back into the triage area. She heard the door open, and the distinctive sound of water hitting water accompanied by a deep sigh. Her cheeks grew warm and she concentrated on the list of injuries in front of her.

She was shocked that he'd survived, ten broken ribs, both fibula fractured in six places, concussion with accompanying skull fracture, no skin to speak of, bloody but not bleeding, ruptured lung, punctured liver, ruptured kidney and spleen. She read about his death and recovery and was amazed. She wasn't sure if Logan could survive injuries like that even though she'd seen the Blackbird's video of what he'd done to Jean and what she'd done to him.

"Thanks, Kid." She jumped, he was back at the door.

"Welcome." She said. He just nodded again and walked back to the chair. She could see him from where she was sitting, if she leaned over a little but she didn't want him to know she'd become curios. What the hell had happened to him, and who had dropped him on their doorstep?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan finished his cigar, and turned to go back into the mansion. Storm was standing behind him.

"He survived." She said simply. She walked up to the edge of the terrace next to him and he slipped an arm around her.

"You act surprised." He growled. 

"No, I am just hoping he is as docile as he looks." She said simply.

"Not likely, Darlin'." He turned his head and kissed the top of hers.

"Logan, I don't like Rogue being down there with him." He started at that. He hadn't thought of the kid all day, but she had been helping Hank lately. He was trying to deal with her withdrawal. At first, the kids had given her a hard time for taking the Cure, but since they found out it was temporary, most of them just gave her a wide birth. He knew she was hurting, and it was spiraling into a depression that he didn't know how to help. She blamed herself for how everyone looked at her, although most of them any more just felt sorry for her. He didn't, he knew why she'd done it, but she was going to have to learn the hard way there were no easy fixes for your problems.

"Should I go down there?" He asked Storm.

"No, right now he's quiet, cooperating. I'd rather keep the two of you separated for a while longer."

"Darlin' it'll be okay. I don't like that he's here, but if anyone can help him its you." She looked up at him and he kissed her gently.

"And you'll be on watch to make sure he doesn't cause any problems." She laughed.

"I'll rip his face off again if he does." Logan snarled.

"No you won't. I want you to promise me..."She took his other hand and placed it over her belly "on the life of our child, please no violence in the school."

"I'll try." He whispered.

"I need more than that, Logan." They both looked over to the graves, and then back to each other. They all knew, even after nearly a year, that any more deaths would rip the school apart. Everyone needed time to heal.

He'd been so lost after Jean, roaming the halls at night with no real purpose, until she'd found him, offered him solace, that had turned into passion, and into something he couldn't remember ever having, a bond, a deep friendship and more. He still wasn't sure if he was in love with her, but he loved her deeply and if she asked him to keep from killing Sabretooth, he'd do everything in his power to do what she asked.

"I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

Second Chances

Chapter 2

The place was quiet, too quiet. He couldn't remember why he was here, couldn't remember who he was. Everyone around him was afraid, he could smell that, and some part of him understood that he was a mutant, that most people couldn't smell like he could. He could speak, and the young girl, the one with the white streak in her hair had been kind, he understood what kind and unkind meant, he just didn't know why it was important, especially for her to be kind.

Some part of him recognized all of them, but there was something blocking him from understanding why they were familiar, why they were all cautious or afraid of him. He looked at his hands resting on his knees in the chair. The claws frightened even him, maybe that was it, maybe it was just his mutation they were afraid of. The blue mutant, the doctor had tried asking him a few questions but the only answer he had was "I don't know."

The door opened and the dark skinned woman walked in. He could smell her, and something else, another life and it hit him, she was with child. He stood as she came into the room and she looked at him, fear and determination poring off of her in waves.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her voice calm, hiding the maelstrom of emotions he could smell behind it.

"Confused. Grateful. Lost." Her expression became puzzled.

"Do you know where you are?"

"No. I know I was dying when I got here, but I can't remember anything before that." He said, sitting back down in the chair. She walked over and perched on the doctor's stool.

"Nothing?"

"No, ma'am."

Her jump startled him, he was just being polite, but she acted like it was a slap in the face. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"No, it is alright. Doctor McCoy says you are as recovered as you are likely to be for the near future." She stood up. "If you will follow me we have prepared a room for you on the second floor."

He stood up to follow her, thinking that this was the strangest hospital he'd ever been in. She walked to a rounded door with a large X in the middle of it and pushed a button, the door swung open revealing an elevator. He stepped in behind her and her fear escalated.

"Are you alright?" He asked, truly concerned.

"I don't like enclosed spaces." She said finally.

"I understand, I don't care for them much either." He said softly. His voice felt scratchy, like he hadn't used it for a long time.

The door opened into a mahogany paneled hallway. He looked around, and re assessed his location. This was no hospital.

"This way." She said leading him to a carpeted flight of stairs.

Several children were running down the stairs and she said sharply, "No running, and Michael, do not..." she started to say as one of the boys dropped down from the balcony and drifted to the floor like a feather. "use your powers in the house."

"Sorry, Ms. Monroe." the one named Michael said as the others skirted the wall as far from him as they could get, and then ran for the front door.

"You will have to pardon the children, we are a school, and they tend to be rambunctious." She had a slight smile as she led him down a hallway. She opened a door and he looked inside. The room was luxurious, a large bed, a door that was open and he could see led to a sizeable bathroom. "I have sent two of the boys into town to purchase you some clothing. Dinner is in one hour, down the stairs and to the left, just follow the crowd. We serve buffet style so get in line and grab a plate." She actually smiled at him, but he could smell confusion, fear, and suspicion from her.

"Thank you, Ms. Monroe was it?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." He walked into the room, his head spinning just from climbing one flight of stairs. He noticed a chair and ottoman near the window and sat down, looking out the window at what had to be the back of the building. There was a swimming pool, he could see horses in a coral near a stable, a basketball court, and in the distance down the slope the shapes of soccer goals. There were children every where, none seemed to be younger than ten all the way up to young adults. He saw a large young man and a brown haired girl walking toward the building, they both looked up at his window and glared with obvious hostility. He didn't understand what was going on.

The door opened and the girl with the white streak came in.

"Ah'm Rogue." She said softly.

"Hello."

"Ms. Monroe said you don't remember anything?" She said as she sat on the end of the bed, well out of his reach but she still smelled of fear.

"No. I woke up in pain, that's all I know." He said softly, trying to get her to relax.

"You're name's Victor. Ro said I shouldn't tell you, but you need something for people to call you." She said.

"Victor," The word caused a momentary jolt in his mind, recognition. She was right, it was his name. "thank you."

"You're sure you don't remember anything?" 

"Yes, have we met - prior to this?"

"Once...but...I..." She looked panicked.

"Forget it, if it was that bad I'm not sure I want to remember." He said softly. She smiled at him, really just the corner of her mouth turned up, and something inside him did recognize her, a soft flicker of an emotion, more than recognition but less than a full memory. She was important to him, somehow.

She stood up and walked to the door. "Dinner's in about half an hour." She opened the door and left it open behind her. He stood up and walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. He looked up and caught his appearance in the mirror. He ran his hands over his face, feeling the stubble on his face. There was a clean disposable razor on the sink, shaving cream on the back of the toilet and towels handy. He grabbed the shaving cream and sprayed the lather into his hand. He spread it over his face and watched himself in the mirror as he scraped the blade over the unfamiliar face.

He raked the stubble off, his hair was barely grown out, just stubble itself and he left that alone. He looked at his face and had the strange feeling something was missing. He was staring at his eyes, and had a sudden flash, a beast with long hair, thick mutton chop sideburns black eyes and fangs leaping out of the mirror at him. He cringed, dropping the razor and curled against the back wall of the bathroom. He shook his head and looked around. It wasn't here...whatever that beast chasing him was, it wasn't here.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She turned back to go ask him if he wanted to walk down with her. He wasn't the way she remembered, he was timid, scared almost, and she didn't quite know what to make of him right now. She knew this was only temporary, his memory loss, unless it was something like what happened to Logan, and then, maybe even monsters could change into something close to human.

She didn't see him at first, he was crouched down, shaking in the bath room. She cleared her throat, afraid to try to touch him.

"Please, keep it away." He whimpered.

"What, Victor, talk to me, keep what away?" She whispered.

"The monster - keep it away." He pointed toward the mirror but she didn't see anything.

"What happened, Victor look at me, talk to me, tell me what happened." He looked up at her and her eyes were captured by his blue ones. He trembled quietly, and she noticed tears streaking down his cheeks, making rivulets in the shaving cream still plastered to his skin.

"I was shaving, and this...thing came out of the mirror, it looked like me but different, long hair, thick whiskers, and fangs..." He put his finger in his mouth and felt his teeth. "It was me..."

"No, it may have been a memory, but it can't hurt you. Victor, its not real." She said softly.

"Rogue, please help me." He crawled across the floor, and she knelt to help him to his feet. He grabbed her hands and pulled her down onto the floor. He crawled over and put his head in her lap and she felt his tears soaking through her jeans. She stroked his head with her glove covered hands.

"It's alright, we'll make sure its alright." She didn't know if they could, but she had to believe they could help him. She couldn't imagine what could have broken him, turned him from the monster he had been to this frightened broken man, but somehow the thought of it made her angry.

He finally sat up, and looked chagrinned. "I'm sorry I got stuff all over you." He said. He stood up and walked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. She watched as he took great pains to avoid looking in the mirror. He came back and was wiping the shaving cream off her pants when she heard a low growl, and the distinctive sound of Logan's claws.

"LOGAN, NO!" She screamed as he charged into the room. He had Victor pinned against the back wall.

"WHAT did you do to her, bub?" Logan snarled, claws under Victor's chin.

"Nothing, really nothing, please...don't hurt me, please." He whimpered.

Rogue grabbed Logan's arm. He'd been on a hair trigger since Jean's death. He and Ro becoming a couple had helped some, but no one knew for sure if that would last or not. Rogue kept expecting him to just up and take off again, but somehow he stayed.

"Logan, please, he was just wiping shaving cream off my jeans. He had a bad experience and it scared him, hell you're scaring him." She said. She felt Logan's arm relax under hers.

"There's no way in hell I scare HIM!" He snarled, but he took a sniff of the air and backed away. Victor collapsed into a pile, and she heard a sob.

"GET OUT!" She yelled at Logan. "He's afraid of you, GET OUT!" Logan looked at her, stunned and then backed from the room.

"Victor, it's okay, Victor. He's gone, it's okay." She knelt next to him and let him lean his head on her shoulder. Somehow he reminded her of a child, someone lost and confused and alone, and she needed to comfort him.

"Help me." He whimpered again, and she just rocked softly, making low comforting noises as he tried to get control over himself.

"I will." She whispered, helping him to his feet. "Now lets go get some dinner."

He followed her docile as a lamb as she guided him to the dining room and helped him get a plate of food from the line. He followed her to the lonely table she normally occupied, and sat down next to her.

"Victor, how old are you?" She asked.

"I don't know. I don't remember." He looked at the plate and picked up a fork. She watched him pick at his food like a frightened child.

"What do you remember?"

"Nothing, I told you."

"Try."

"I remember...dark, it was very dark and I can hear chains." His eyes were closed. "I can hear someone talking, and I'm hungry. The door opens and I lunge at him...and that...the next thing I remember is pain and being here."

"Do you know how old you were, in the cellar?" She said, picking at her own food.

"I was a kid, I remember being small, smaller than the man that came into the cellar...I remember him hurting me, and getting angry, and then it went black." He put his fork down and she was afraid he'd start crying again.

"It's okay Victor. She put her hand over his on the table. "We won't let anyone hurt you." She watched him as he turned his head to the table where Logan and Ororo were sitting and felt him tremble under her hand.

XXXXXXXX

Logan glared at the monster sitting next to Marie. She was protecting that monster, touching him. He didn't know if he could protect her from Creed, she somehow had made herself his protector.

"Logan, it is alright, I asked Rogue to look after him. Hank has a theory, that might explain why he lost his memory, something like what happened to you, whatever happened to him was traumatic, so traumatic that he blanked out everything. Our hope is that we can bring it back a little at a time, in a controlled way so that he understands we are helping him."

"You honestly think that bastard is going to think we're helping him?" He glared at her.

"Yes I do." She said simply. He put his hand over hers.

"Alright, I just don't like you using Rogue to look after him, without her mutation she's helpless if he does get it back."

"Do you really think so, you trained her, without her mutation. She is well trained and can hold her own with any of us, with our without powers. I am expecting them to begin returning any day now, most people who took the Cure about the time she did have started, and they are coming back stronger, according to the reports from Emma."

He let out a low growl. He hated that she had to have them back. She was his friend, he'd promised to protect her and she'd ended up more broken than he had been. He paused a second, maybe she was the one to help Creed, if anyone was more broken, and afraid than Rogue, it was Creed.

"Just stay away from him yourself, Darlin'." He whispered. "I don't want him hurting you or the baby."

"I'll be fine, and tomorrow Hank said he has time for the ultrasound. I know you can hear it but I want to hear the baby's heartbeat." She whispered back. They'd kept the pregnancy quiet, mostly because she wanted it that way. She never mentioned it but he had a feeling she'd been pregnant before at some point, but lost it, and was afraid of the same thing happening again. He leaned over and kissed her gently.

"Good, I wish you could hear it every day like I do, strong and constant." He said, stroking her soft hand. "I don't know how, but somehow I think I've been here before, and this time nothing is going to happen."

"What do you mean?" She said.

"I don't know, I've been having dreams, about Jean..." He said.

"I know, you cry out in your sleep. They're not as violent as they used to be, but you're calling for someone...not Jean, Kiko." She said.

"Kiko?" He shook his head, the name brought an image of a woman with porcelain skin and black eyes, deep black hair and a beautiful smile.

"Logan."

"I can see her, she's oriental." He said softly

"Kiko?"

"Yes."

"Can you remember what happened to her." His memory had been coming back just a little bit at a time. It was frustrating, and yet he grabbed on to each memory like a treasure, another key to his past.

"She died."

"Logan?"

"She was pregnant, with our son, and she died." He said, he could feel his eyes burning, an old pain resting on his heart, making it feel like it was bleeding inside him.

"I'm not going to die. The baby will be fine." She said softly.

"I know...I won't let anyone hurt you, or the little one." He said firmly. Somehow he knew she'd died violently, and somehow the monster across the room had to have something to do with it.


	3. Chapter 3

Second Chances

A/N Before it even starts...Victor's animal came out when he was young, and took over. It has been Sabretooth in complete control since he was around eleven years old, a predator, a monster, the only 'human' thing in his life was his relationship to Logan. The years since Logan left have been very hard on Sabretooth, turning him into the one we see in X1. The animal is very smart, very crafty, and right now completely dormant. The Victor dealing with the X-men at this point is a ten year old child in a man's body.

Logan has always kept his humanity, even if the animal comes out he never lets it completely control him. That humanity was what kept Victor halfway tame over the years together. When Logan's memory went, his humanity was still there, as well as the animal. Remember Logan's memory loss is from the bullets to the brain, Victors is truly from the horrible trauma that happened to him...which will be explained eventually.

Chapter 3

He stared at the bathroom door, and cringed. He didn't know why, but he was afraid of that mirror. He couldn't let the fear control him. He remembered his father saying that, at some point, 'Don't let the fear control you boy, a man doesn't let the fear control him.' He cringed. His memory was coming back slowly. He remembered the farm, helping his father with the gardens and the fields. He remembered Mrs. Elizabeth helping nurse him when he was sick. He remembered his father's drunken rages, blaming him for his mother's death. He remembered the beatings, but most of all he remembered being sick, very sick, all the time until he'd locked himself in the cellar. He remembered something else, something about another boy, younger than him. He remembered pretending to sleep and listening to Mrs. Elizabeth and his father talking about the other boy, James, his brother.

He started as the door opened. It was Rogue. She had two bowls with spoons sticking up in them in her hands.

"Neither one of us ate much, so Ah figured a little ice cream wouldn't kill us." She smiled, a real smile this time, and he realized he liked her smile. She was his friend, she'd been nice and now she brought ice cream. That meant she was a friend.

"Thank you Rogue." He said as she handed him the bowl.

"Marie." She smiled at him and jumped up on the dresser top with her own bowl.

"Why do you wear gloves, Marie?" He asked around a mouth full of cold goodness.

"Ah can't touch people. My skin hurts them." She said, sadly.

"Really?" He was sad for her, that had to be worse than claws and a monster hiding somewhere ready to take over and make him go away again.

"Yeah..." She took another small bite of her ice cream.

"Well, I wish I could help you as much as you've helped me." He said. She looked at him, her head tilted to one side.

"Victor, how old do you feel, inside your head?" She asked.

"I remember my tenth birthday, I got a new knife from my pa, and a new coat from Mr. and Mrs. Howlett." He said softly.

"If you close your eyes, how long ago was that?" She asked.

He closed his eyes and let himself try to remember, let all the stuff around him fade and think about his birthday. It had been about four months ago, that he could remember. "It was in July, last July." he said.

"So inside your head you're ten years old?"

He just nodded. He felt strange in this grown up body. It didn't feel right, it felt too big.

She stood up and walked over and sat next to him on the bed. She took his hand in hers and just held it. "I'm sorry." She whispered and leaned her head on his shoulder.

The other man the one that he felt he knew, the one with the knives in his hands came in the door and growled low.

"Rogue, you should head for bed."

"I'm just getting Victor settled." She said. She picked up the empty ice cream bowls and spoons. "I'll be by in the morning to wake you up Victor." She said gently as she left the room.

"I don't know what game you're playing, bub, but you leave her alone." Logan snarled.

"I'm not playing any games, I don't know that many." Victor whimpered.

He watched Logan sniff the air, and realized that he could pick up scents the way Victor could. "I mean it, Mister, I don't know what you're talking about." Logan walked slowly across the room.

"Who are you?" He asked softly, looking Victor in the eyes.

"Victor, that's all I know, please Mister, don't hurt me." He said softly. Something was pushing him, something in the back of his mind. He knew this man's scent, knew it well, but all he could think of was his baby brother, James.

"James?" He asked slowly. "Is it you Jimmy?"

He watched the man shake his head, and then snarl and back away. "I don't know what you're talking about. Get some sleep, bub, and remember I'm watching you." He slammed the door shut and Victor bit back a sob. Logan smelled like his little brother, but he was so mean, so angry all the time. He pulled back the covers and crawled under them, and grabbed one of the pillows to curl up with. He tried to keep the sobs quiet, he knew if he could hear just about everything going on around that Logan could too, and he didn't want his brother to know that he was scared...and alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He's just a little boy, in his mind." Rogue said softly as she was sitting in the chair in Logan and Ro's room. Logan came in, and he looked almost frightened.

"Logan?" Ro stood up and walked to him.

"He...he said something and I remembered..." His eyes were wild, and Rogue watched Ro slip her arms around him, trying to calm him down.

"Do you really want to talk about this now...?" She asked.

"Yes, I trust Rogue." He said softly, kissing her, his eyes calming down. He was still tense, but he held her close. "He called me James, then Jimmy and I remembered, I was in a bed, just a child, and he was sitting in a chair across the room, trimming his claws with a knife, he called me Jimmy...and...he's my brother." Logan buried his face in Ro's hair.

"Logan?" Rogue asked softly.

"Its been coming back slowly, bits and pieces. Something Jean did, before I killed her did something in my head and I'm slowly getting it back." He said as he and Ro separated and he sat on the end of the bed.

"He's just a boy, in his mind, a scared little boy." Rogue said.

"I can't believe that, he's..." He shook his head, and she could see the conflict in him. He wanted to hate him, because of her, because of the statue, but something in him was fighting back.

"Your brother, evidently, and he needs you." Rogue said. "Right now, more than ever."

"I can't remember." Logan said slowly. "I just can't remember." Rogue stood up and walked out of the room.

She stopped at Victor's door and heard the strangled sobs from inside. He was just a little boy. She opened the door softly. He looked over and she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Just try to get some sleep." She said softly.

"Don't leave me, I'm scared." He whispered.

"I'll stay right here." She said softly. She stroked his hair, and started to hum.

"I know that song...Mrs. Elizabeth used to sing it to me when I was sick."

"Hush little baby, don't say a word, momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird, and if that mocking bird don't sing, momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring is brass, momma's gonna buy you a looking glass, and if that looking glass gets broke momma's gonna buy you an ox an yoke. If that ox and yoke break down, you're still the sweetest child in town." She sang softly, watching his eyes drift slow, letting her fingers stroke softly across his brow as he relaxed into a peaceful sleep. She looked up and saw Logan standing at the door, looking at her strangely.

"He needs me." She whispered.

"Rogue..."

"No one else does, but he does." She whispered. Logan just nodded and turned away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He woke up with a start, he wasn't alone. He took a sniff, it was the girl, Rogue. What was she doing here with him. He shook his head. It was cloudy, he didn't understand where he was?

"Victor, are you okay?" She said softly.

"Yeah...where am I?" He asked.

"You're here, where you were yesterday, you're safe Victor." She said softly.

"Safe?" He snarled the word and she started, pulling back from him.

"Yes, you came to us for help. Do you remember anything?" She asked.

He shook his head again, and then looked at her. Something, he needed her for something, but he couldn't remember what. A song kept running through his mind and suddenly he remembered her soothing him to sleep last night, remembered...the sudden pain tearing through his brain caused him to scream in agony.

"Victor?" she said, then started screaming "HELP ME!"

He rolled on the ground gripping his head, the battle raging inside it. He could feel it stronger, pushing to get out, but he had to stop it, had to keep it caged inside, he wanted his freedom, wanted to live, not let it control him anymore.

He felt a prick in his arm, and felt the pain fade, and with it his vision, the last thing he saw was her frightened confused face as he blacked out.

XXXXXXXXX

"He had a massive aneurism in his brain." Hank said. Storm watched him breathing softly on the bed. "His healing factor is working, however I am going to continue monitoring him. Rogue said he was different when he woke up."

"Do you think it was the adult Sabretooth that woke up?" Storm asked.

"Ah don't know, he was different, not like he was yesterday, but not the way Ah remember him from Magneto's place either." Rogue said finally.

"Did you spend much time with him, when you were with Magneto?" Storm asked. No one had ever really asked her much about that time.

"No, not really, he watched me, a lot, was always watching me. He rarely spoke, mostly growled and snarled...but Ah remember one time, Ah was tryin ta sleep, tryin ta relax, and Ah was scared, so scared and Toad was pickin at me, throwin things and flicking me with his tongue and Sabretooth growled at him and stood between us so he couldn't hit me anymore...he said "She's got more guts than you, no frail sniveling out of her. She knows she's gonna die, and is just tryin ta sleep, leave her the fuck alone." Then he started...Ah don't know what ta call it, the sound he made but it helped me relax and get to sleep. He never touched me, never hurt me, even when they ordered him ta put me in the machine, he was gentle."

"Do you remember anything else, Rogue, anything at all that might help us reach him."

"Ah remember, after they chained me to that machine, I heard him talkin ta Magneto, Ah couldn't hear what was said, but it wasn't pretty. He was arguin' and Ah think it was about me."

"Thank you." Storm looked at her closely. "Hank, I'm going to ask Rogue to stay with him, you continue to monitor him, we can schedule our appointment another time."

"No need, I can bring the machine in here, he will sleep a while yet. Whatever happened to him seemed to have slowed down his healing factor, he's not metabolizing the sedatives as efficiently as his body should." Hank said as he gestured her to climb up on a bed nearby. He pulled the curtain and she climbed up. Logan took her hand as Hank wheeled over the machine. He turned the screen so she could see, and pulled the tube of gel out of the warmer next to it.

"I have been eagerly anticipating being able to properly use this machine." He said with a big grin. "Too often I have to use it to diagnose something wrong, it is time it was used to show something right."

She looked at the grainy black and white image on the screen as he brushed the wand over her stomach, the speakers picking up the heartbeat and she felt tears in her eyes. Logan held her hand tight and she looked up at him to see a single trail of moisture from his eye and knew he was as excited by this as she was.

The profile of the face showed on the screen and she bit back a small sob. There was her baby, safe in her body, growing and becoming the perfect creation it was. The father and man she loved stood next to her as excited about becoming a parent as she was.

"There is only one question I have...do you want to know if its a boy or a girl?" Hank asked.

"I think we'll wait." She said, and Logan squeezed her hand. Hank just nodded and wiped the gel off her stomach.

"Well you have a healthy baby, growing normally." He said as he helped her up. Logan sat down next to her.

"Darlin' I think we need ta do this right." He said softly, kissing her.

"What do you mean?" She said as she pulled her blouse back down to cover her stomach.

"Will you marry me?"


	4. Chapter 4

Second Chances

Chapter 4

They kept him out for over a week. Rogue sat at his side every day singing lullabies and holding his hand. She knew there was a frightened child in there that needed her. Upstairs everyone was happy and excited about Logan and Ro getting married, about the baby, but all Rogue could think about was the man down in the medical facility.

She kept asking Hank to wake him but he just shook his head, saying it was too dangerous to him to wake him up again before the healing finished its job. She wasn't sure she wanted Sabretooth back, she liked Victor, he needed her.

She felt a twitch in his hand and knew Hank would be along to keep him asleep but she wanted him to wake up, just for a moment. His hand tightened under hers and she looked up. His eyes were open, and clear and blue like a summer sky.

"Victor?" She asked.

"Yeah." He said softly, but his voice was strange. "I remember, and right now the monster is under control." He sneered and she knew she was talking to Sabretooth. He considered his child self a monster.

"Please, let us help you." She said softly.

"You have...why am I restrained?"

"You were badly injured when you got here, we're trying to make sure you don't hurt yourself again."

"Again?"

"Yes a week ago you woke up and tried to claw your skull off after an aneurism."

"Well I'm fine now, please release me." He said and she started at the please.

"Ah can't, not until Hank checks you out." She said.

"Then let go of my hand." He snapped.

"Sorry, Ah was just worried about you." She said, hurt.

"Either let me go, or go get the blue guy to release me." She expected him to be more angry, forceful, if it was Sabretooth in charge.

"Victor, please relax." She said softly. "We ain't gonna hurt you, you know that."

"I know." He looked at her and she realized that he was still Victor, just seemed older.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I don't know, while I was asleep I guess, I can see some of what I've done, what it's done, I don't like it." He almost whimpered, but caught himself. "It wants to lock me back up, force me back into the dark corner it kept me in."

"Sabretooth?"

"That's what it calls itself." He said. She was confused.

"So you're keeping it bottled up, but it was what woke up, and you fought to stop it?" She said, trying to make sense of things.

"Yes...something like that. It knows something, something important, something to do with you, and I'm trying to remember what that is but when I try he starts to wake up, and I have to fight him again."

"Do you have any idea what? Not exactly but what it could be?" She wanted to un-strap him but Hank had been very firm that she wasn't to release him until they were sure he wouldn't hurt himself again.

"A warning, something dangerous." He said and she saw fear in his eyes, and suddenly realized the fear was for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Ororo watched through the window as they talked. He had a warning, about Rogue, how could she be in any danger she was Cured. As far as Ororo knew her mutation wasn't back yet. She felt Logan slip up behind her and leaned on him.

"He's awake?"

"Yes...and seems more mature, mentally than he was before. He says there's something in the animal side of him that is a warning, some danger to Rogue."

"He's the danger to Rogue." Logan snarled.

"He hasn't done anything to hurt her, he's been nothing but gentle with her, even when she was Magneto's prisoner. We have to think that that is not normal for him, that there is a reason for it."

"Why?" He snarled. She knew he'd been remembering more, but hadn't said anything to her about anything specific.

"Is it something you remember?"

"No, as far as I can remember, in stupid bits and pieces that just don't link together, he's never been gentle with women, ever. You're right, it is unusual, I don't know why, but it is unusual for him."

"There you both are. I have something interesting to show you." Hank said as he walked up a stack of images in his hand. "Leave her alone, she is perfectly safe with him, no matter which half of his personality is in control."

"What?" Ro looked at Hank.

"That is what I have to show you, quite interesting and illuminating to his condition." Hank led them to the medical diagnostic room. He quickly clipped the images, which turned out to be brain scans onto the light board.

"Each one of these was taken at different times over the last week, and these, from when he first came in are what I used for comparison. As you can see here, this was his brain function right after his revival when I could get sensors on him. The primitive part of his cortex, here was all that was functioning, but as his body healed, this portion faded and his upper brain functions, primarily in this area became active. This is known as a 'growth' area, or an area that is predominantly active during pre-adolescence. It is where we learn, and store what we learn as we enter adult hood. This is why when he awoke he presented as a young child. This scan is interesting because…"

"Why is that one part of his brain, his primitive part still active?" Logan said, pointing to the area on the scan.

"That is the interesting part, and I am getting to it. In all the scans where Rogue is present that part of his brain is active, and until the last two days when she was not there it has been as dormant as the rest of the primitive part. But as of yesterday morning it is constantly active again."

"Why is that interesting?"

"Because I asked Rogue to submit to a scan, and have for the last week, looking for signs her mutation is becoming active again. In all of these scans..." He pointed to a different series. In most of them the area that was active in the others was dormant, but in the last two it showed active, along with other areas that had been dormant in the earlier scans. "…that portion of her brain remains dormant, but here it is active, and has remained active since about three days ago, growing stronger. These other areas are consistent with her mutation being active."

"So whatever's happening to him, in that part of his brain, is happening to her?"

"Yes and this one scan is very interesting. This was done right after she came back from Liberty Island, see, the area is highly active at that point but faded quickly." He pointed to another set of scans.

"So exactly what does all this mean?' Ro said, confused.

"Well this portion of the brain is linked to mate preference and reproduction." Hank said. She felt Logan's low growl. "All ferals, myself included, and I am assuming Logan as well, since we can't get an accurate scan of his brain because of the adamantium, have a great deal of activity in the primitive portions of their brains. It is where our senses reside, our instincts, and I think in Logan and Victor's cases, where their 'other self' hides. It is where Sabretooth lives in Victor's brain."

"So you're saying he's got some kind of mating instinct active when Rogue's around?" Logan snarled.

"It is more than a 'mating instinct.' This particular center is what is tied to long term mating, partnering or monogamy in humans. It is the instinctive nurturing center of the brain, for example when chimpanzees groom each other, in that case it is a group bond, but I think that this is more of a dual bond between the two of them."

"You're saying she's mated to him?"

"I'm saying they've formed a connection, a bond of some sort, and that it might be the way to help him with his recovery…however we are going to have to allow it to develop naturally. It looks like it started to form at the statue, or before, and only their close proximity now has allowed it to complete…and that her mutation had to be active for it to happen."

"Can't we just send him away; I mean his factor's working…" Logan said

"Not exactly." Hank said.

"What do you mean, not exactly?" Ro asked, gripping Logan's hand, she wasn't sure if she was more afraid for Rogue or Logan at this point.

"His factor is only working sporadically. It is as if there is something interfering and I can't find it." Hank said.

"What could it be?"

"I don't know. He will be safer here, where he can be kept calm by Rogue, instead of out by himself. I examined some of the samples I took from his body when he first arrived. He was burned, and badly and somehow the burned flesh was pulled off of his body, but he wasn't able to regenerate until his breathing and heartbeat stopped completely. I am beginning to suspect and artificial means of controlling his mutation."

"How are we going to find out?"

"I am still pouring over the scans and MRI's I've done since he's been unconscious, I cannot seem to find anything within his body…" Logan stood and walked from her side to the scans. He pointed to something on one of them.

"What's that?"

Hank looked at it closely. Storm stood and looked as well. It looked straight, like the edge of something, but it wasn't in any of the other scans.

"I wonder…" Hank pulled out another scan, this time it had something in the same place.

"I didn't even notice it, I was so excited by the activity of the brain itself…what ever it is is right behind the right ear."

"Can we get it out?"

"I don't know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He watched her through lidded eyes. She wasn't holding his hand anymore, and he wasn't sure exactly how to feel about that. Part of him, that part he hated wanted her touch, wanted her to look at him with soft eyes and parted lips. He forced himself to keep the sneer inside. That monster needed to go back in its cage. He didn't need frail shit, didn't need to feel all soft and fuzzy looking at her. He thought back to the first time he saw her as anything but a target. He'd dumped her unconscious body in the cell, and something had caught his attention. It wasn't anything major, just a button on her glove had come undone and something made him reach down to button it.

His hand had brushed her flesh, he'd felt a slight pull, and then backed away, knowing how deadly her skin was…but somehow after that, it upset him when she was scared, he'd had to stop Toad tormenting her so she could get some rest. He tried to tell himself it was just her courage, her not whimpering and crying like a frail that caused him to do it, but he'd actually tried to talk Magneto out of the whole plan, not killing her, or at least letting him give her the healing factor first so she'd survive the machine. His last thought after falling was a hope that Jimmy would be able to save her. He never thought of anyone but himself, except perhaps Jimmy and to think of her, as he fell through space pissed him off.

He could feel it trying to crawl out again and pushed, but it pushed back and he felt himself retreating into the corner it forced him into. He had to tell her something, tell them something…it was important. He fought to keep the weakling from pushing him back…and forced a word out of his mouth. He hoped they'd understand.

"Genosia."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What?" She said. His blue eyes looked at her confused.

"I don't know. It was in control for a moment…it said it not me…" He said softly. She saw a tear in his eye. She wasn't sure, but somehow she knew he was afraid.

"Genosia? I've never heard of that?"

"It is a small island off of Africa." Storm said as she entered the room. "The Professor had been watching them before he died. There are several stories of mutants gone missing there, and he couldn't track them with Cerebro."

"Oh…but what would they want with Victor…or me?" Rogue asked. Victor strained to reach her hand, but barely brushed his fingers against the cloth of her glove as the restraint cut into his arm.

"Hank seems to think you're stable so we can remove those." Storm said as she started to unbuckle the restraints.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"Victor, can you tell us anything else about Genosia, why that was important enough for your feral side to try to remember?"

"No, I can't."

"You are going to have to let it wake up then, let that part of you talk to us. We know you are suppressing it, forcing it away, but it is part of you, and it knows something you nearly died trying to tell us."

"I can't remember, and if I let it out, it will lock me back up again. I don't want to go back in the dark." He whimpered, sounding more like the child again.

"We will help you, as much as we can, but we need Sabretooth to be able to speak."

"NO!" He roared, eyes flashing, growing darker blue. "He wants to kill me…"

"He can't, you are one and the same, and somehow you have to learn to live together in the same body…in the same mind." Storm said softly. Marie wanted her to stop, to leave him alone. He was hurt and afraid, he just needed time.

"Is it that important? Ah mean right now. Let him rest a while, he just woke up." She said sharply to Storm.

"Rogue, I know you want to protect him, but if it is a threat to you, he needs to help us. If the Genosians are after Rogue she is in danger Victor." Storm said calmly, as he sat up on the bed and rubbed his wrists.

"Even if I wanted to, he's angry, and I won't let him out until that anger is gone. He hurts people when he's angry and I don't want to hurt anyone." He said, more like he seemed earlier, older and in control.

"Fine. There is something else, there appears to be something behind your right ear, it showed up on one of the scans of your head. Hank would like to try to remove it." He nodded.

Hank came in with a tray. Rogue moved to assist him and slipped off her gloves. He smiled at her and she watched as he deadened the area behind Victor's ear. "This won't last long, and if I hurt you, I am sorry in advance." Hank said to his patient. She cringed as the scapel dug into the thin flesh behind his ear, and Hank's hiss of surprise startled her.

"I don't know if we can remove this. I need Kitty." Hank said simply.

"Why?" Storm asked

"It appears to be damaged, and somehow electronically linked into his brain. Cutting it out might damage him severely."

"OH HELL!" Victor snapped and reached back with a claw and dug it out. She screamed as he dropped back on the bed, flopping in a seizure. Hank and Storm held him to the bed until the seizure stopped. She felt the tears on her cheeks as she watched his chest, willing him to breathe.

"I have a heartbeat." Hank said finally…his chest still wasn't moving, and then a quick gasp of air and he was breathing again.

"He's out. I am hooking him back up to the monitors; however his healing factor seems to be working again at full force." Hank said as he reached for the leads. Victor's hand stopped him.

"Don't bother…I'm fine." He sneered, and sat up. Storm backed up in fear and Rogue gasped. His eyes were pitch black as he stood up, and calmly picked up Hank and threw him across the room.

"You belong to me." He growled softly, her entire body trembling at the sound. He advanced on her and she did the only thing she could to stop him…She took his hand with her bare one and watched him start to pull away before her skin absorbed him. She let go before he stopped breathing again…and looked at Ro.

"Its me they're after. Me and Leech." She said, and passed out.


	5. Chapter 5

Second Chances

Chapter 5

He woke up and groaned. He felt like he'd been hit by a steamroller and everything pushed out his hand. It hurt, all over and he couldn't understand it for a moment. The beast was back in its corner licking its wounds and he realized that whatever had hurt him had hurt it worse.

_Leave me the fuck alone, frail._

_Are you alright?_

_I hurt you shit...how did she do that?_

_She? Marie?_

_Rogue, yes. She took us down. _

_Her power is back...and more powerful, and evidently works faster._

_She's mine._

_She's ours._

_What?_

_I love her._

_FRAIL SHIT!_

_You want her, she's your mate, as close as you can get to feeling what I feel, but she's MINE! If she accepts you to fine, but you better fucking ask for permission because I'm keeping control._

_When the fuck did you grow up and grow a pair._

_While you were sleeping._

He felt it go back into the corner and lick its wounds again. He had control and he didn't think it would force him out any time soon. Jimmy was going to have to just deal with shit. He didn't know what was wrong with his brother, but by all that might be Holy, he was gonna snap the shit out of it and help him protect his girl.

"Rogue." He muttered

"She's still out." It was Storm and he just nodded.

"How long?"

"You've been out about three hours. She should be waking soon. We've got her and Leech here in the medical facility. He's giving her a break from your rather fractured mind."

"My mind is hurting her?"

"I don't know honestly, she's never been out like this except at the statue."

"The kid, Leech, you can't let them get their hands on him." He said as he sat up.

"Take it easy."

"I can't, I've got to keep her safe."

"Creed...Victor, we can protect her."

"Not against them you can't, they'll wait, they'll grab her after you've relaxed. They want her to be their executioner. They want him to suppress the mutations so they can implant them with the suppression chips."

"You remember?"

"Yeah, things have been a little rough the last couple years. They caught me after the statue, I was weak after the fall and they tortured me for whatever information I could give them. I told them about Rogue, I couldn't help it, I tried to protect her, but even I couldn't hold out...then they just did it for fun, and training...training the troops to come here and get them both."

"My Goddess..." She muttered.

"They thought they'd killed me...burned the body and left me in the woods near here, I think as a warning of what happens to mutants who get too powerful. I caught Jimmy's scent and crawled here through the forest, to warn you, and protect her."

"Why Rogue?"

"I touched her, by accident, before the statue...ever since she's been his...mine...ours." He snarled the last, the beast putting in his two cents.

"Victor...or Sabretooth."

"Both."

"I don't understand?"

"He and I have come to an agreement. I went through his memories, learned all I could about him - and me and how we work. He's not going to be out of control again, at least not unless something happens to her, and then I think I'd let him loose on anyone who hurt her."

"What about her?"

"That will depend on her, won't it." He snarled. He wasn't completely disgusted by what the beast had created, and there were times it had used things that could have only come from him to build its life, and he wasn't about to give any of it up...and he could see a purpose to what he did...he was just planning on changing a few minor things, only taking jobs where the target deserved to die...at least in his opinion.

XXXXXXXX

Her head was pounding. She could hear voices nearby but she couldn't understand what they were saying. The cure had removed all the voices in her head and now she had at least one back...and he was LOUD!

_SHUT THE FUCK UP BOTH OF YOU!_

_The beast growled, and kept repeating one word. "Mine"_

_Leave her alone, the other voice said, she needs to rest and doesn't need us driving her insane._

_Thank you Victor now shut the fuck up._

_Marie, please, you didn't have to do this, I wouldn't have let him hurt you._

_It wasn't him Ah was worried about._

_What?_

_Jest get the hell in that box, this is MY mind, and AH'M in control._

They both retreated, allowing her head to stop pounding quite as much. She didn't exactly know what was going on, but having him in her head probably wasn't the smartest move she could have made, and now, knowing how he thought about her, she really didn't know what to make of the whole thing. He'd been burned alive just to escape to come and protect her, he'd crawled for miles through the wilderness, up the gravel drive way in excruciating pain just to warn her of the danger. She'd picked up far more than he'd ever wanted her to pick up and she had to sort through it.

Firstly, there was the whole concept of him being protective of her from the start; keeping Toad from harassing her, fighting with Erik…she actually knew what that fight was about, what he'd offered to do to keep her alive. He'd asked Eric to let her kill him; absorb his powers permanently so that she didn't have to die in the machine. She also knew his plan, interrupted by her friends, to take Erik out while he was weakened after the transfer and then give her his power.

She'd absorbed a whole lot more than just a casual touch, even more than she'd gotten from Logan the second time, when she nearly killed him. She had his memories, from childhood, being raised by a single father in the Canadian frontier, not always the best of situations, to his memories of growing up with James…Logan…James. God she was confused.

"Darlin'?" She heard a soft whisper. It wasn't the one she expected though.

"Ah'm awake, Logan." She whispered back.

"Good. I don't like this…that possessiveness he…" Logan whispered.

"It's fine…Ah can deal with it." She whispered back.

"Why are we whispering?" He asked

"Ah don't know, you started it." She said.

They both laughed, and she relaxed a bit.

They both jumped at the loud noise from the other side of the room and Ro trying to stop him.

"Victor you can't just get up and…." The curtain was ripped back and she looked up into his blue eyes.

"Just cuz you think you own me don't mean you do." She growled at him, letting his own Sabretooth out at him. "An' if you think Ah'm gonna just fall into your arms because Ah got a double dose of you in mah fuckin head you've got another thing comin, Mr. Creed."

By the point she said his name she was on her feet, poking him in the chest and had backed him against a wall with his hands up.

"I just want to keep you safe, that's all." He said.

"BULLSHIT!" She roared at him. "Ah got you in my head, remember and you can take some of those X rated ideas of yours and shove them where the sun don't shine. Mah mamma raise a lady and there's no way in hell Ah'm ever gonna…" He grabbed her by her upper arms and pulled her up, silencing her with his mouth. She wasn't sure if she wanted to kick him, or kiss him back, but at the moment kicking him was winning.

"Darlin' I just want to keep you safe right now, and you cannot condemn a man for THINKING can you, you are beautiful, and sexy and damn I'd like to do a hell of a lot of X rated things with you, but right now I'm more concerned with keeping you safe and out of those damned Genosian's hands. Fair."

She nodded. He was being fair, and she wasn't. She couldn't condemn him for thinking, he was right, his thoughts were his own, and just because she had a huge dose of him she didn't have the right to take that away from him.

"Now, we need to figure out what we can do to keep everyone safe, not just you, babe." He said, setting her down on the floor, and then pulling her close against him. She struggled for a moment and he just growled. "You're not leaving my side, kid. Live with it."


	6. Chapter 6

It took a month for the first attempt. They came at them during the spring break, when there were fewer children in residence.

Logan and Victor managed to keep them safe, but after that, Victor insisted that Rogue and Leech be separated, it was easier to hide Leech among normal people since his mutation only effected mutants.

Victor kept her almost chained to his side, and it drove her nuts. After that first kiss in the infirmary, he'd kept his hands to himself, and she wanted to explore why she could touch him without either of them ending up in a coma.

The one good thing was she wasn't alone anymore, not even to go to the bathroom, he stood right outside the stall door in public and outside the door to her bathroom in her room. They'd moved her into her own room, and he slept on a pallet on the floor.

"Look, it's Rogue and her pet Sabretooth. I'm surprised she doesn't have him on a leash."  
She wanted to hit the damned kid. They didn't understand and weren't willing to cut him some slack.

"Sorry 'bout that." She muttered under her breath.

"They don't bother me." He said. "As long as you are safe."

That was about all he said. She almost wished he'd let the animal out for a while, at least it might try to kiss her again. She could hear his inner battle every night in his sleep, and wanted to comfort him, but the one time she tried he'd growled and snarled until she just climbed back into bed.

It was bad enough, him clamming up and not talking to her, but the him in her head was just as silent, and guarded. Accessing his memories was a battle, and she knew it was because there were things he didn't want her to see. Right now it wasn't worth the battle, although she knew both versions of him were watching her closely, but for what she didn't know.

She'd tried, many times, to reach out to him, to try to help him adjust, but each time he pulled farther away. She even tried reaching out on a personal level, but he just glared at her as if she'd turned green. She'd had enough.

She sat down on the bench under the apple tree. He stopped and glared at her but just stood there, watching the sky, the tree line of the forest, even the other students at the school.

"Ya know ya don't have ta play bodyguard all tha damned time." She let out a good growl to match his.

"Until you're safe, I do." He growled back.

"Well, ya could at least pretend ya liked it." She groused back.

"I do like it. I get to spend time with you." She glared at him.

"Not talkin, not communicating isn't spendin' time with someone." She snapped.

"I talk, we're talking now." He said with a snort. She threw up her gloved hands in disgust.

"Ah've had about enough of this. First yer broken and need mah help, then ya wake up and yer someone else again, somewhere between animal and Victor, then I drain ya, and get the one in mah head, and that one's just as damned stubborn, then ya kiss me an' my mutation doesn't kill ya, and now ya just walk around behind me like a shadow and don't say a damned word. I can't TAKE it."

"Rogue, I can't let my guard down, those people are nothin' ta fool around with, they almost killed me." He growled back, and she could feel, and smell that it was the frightened words of the little boy.

"Bein' friends wouldn't let yer guard down, hell bein' somethin' else wouldn't either."

"Oh yes it would." He started pacing in front of her.

"How?"

"I'd be thinkin' about how ta get in your pants, not about keepin' ya safe." This time she knew it was Sabretooth. She'd started a game with herself, trying to identify which half was speaking at which time.

"Leech is safe, and I'm safer here than almost any place." She started.

"YOU are only safe if I'm on watch." He growled, and she knew it was both at the same time.

"What if Ah don't want ta just be safe. You said I belonged ta you, but you sure as hell don't act like it."

"Darlin' I'm getting less than two hours sleep a night, there's still things my body's healin, and yes damn it I want you, but I want you safe and alive, not dead because I wasn't payin' attention because I was ruttin with you instead of keepin' my eyes peeled.

"RUTTIN'" She snapped. "You son of a bitch."

He grabbed her by her shoulders and lifted her until she was at his eye height. "If I think of it as anything else then I spend all my time wantin' ta do this." She was surprised for a second and didn't realize he was kissing her. She tried to pull back, to stop her mutation, but it just stayed dormant. She wrapped her legs around his waist for better leverage, and started kissing him back. For someone with little to no experience with women, the man could kiss. She could feel him, thick and hard through his jeans, pressing against her, and she moaned. His scent was full of musk and it was starting to drive her insane. She wanted more of his skin, wanted to touch and taste all of him.

She felt him jerk suddenly, and then heard the rapport of the gun shot. He let out a roar, and turned in the direction of the shot, dropping her onto the ground behind him. She clung to the back of his belt, a sting in her side making her light headed. She looked down, and saw blood on the back of his shirt, the wound exposed by the hole working to try to close.

She shook her head, trying to clear it, but everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He could still taste her on his lips as he turned to try to find the sniper. The copper smell of blood was in the air and he glanced down at the hole in the front of his shirt. It wasn't that big, but seemed to take its time healing. That was when he felt her collapse behind him just as the thought crossed his mind, they'd shot him in the back.

"MARIE!" He roared, turning, sheltering her body with his larger one, even though it hadn't protected her from the bullet. He grabbed her and ran, a zigzag line to the building, the X-Men just starting to pour out of the building.

"He's in the trees. I need bluebutt, the bullet went though me and hit her." He growled at Jimmy. Jimmy just nodded and held the door open for him as he ran through the entry and straight for the elevator.

She couldn't die, not now, not when he needed her most. She was his mate...he felt her move in his arms and let out a little groan.

"Damn it...what happened?" She said.

"We were shot." He said simply. "Now you know why I am protecting you."

"Fat lot of good it did ya." She groused. He almost smiled. She couldn't be hit that bad if she was giving him a hard time.

"Hank, bullet wound." He said as he carried her in and dropped her on the gurney.

"So I surmise by your shirt. Why are you assisting Rogue?"

"She's the one who's shot." Hank just gave him a strange look, and turned to Marie on the gurney.

Hank pulled her shirt up to examine her chest. Victor saw bloodstains, but no wound.

"What tha hell?"

"What the hell, indeed." Hank said. "I need to run some tests, and you. my boy need to sit down. YOU are in need of medical attention."

He sat down and stripped off his shirt. The wound was almost closed, but still seeping blood, and he could feel his back sticking to the chair as that end of the wound tried to heal as well. He watched as the last of the front wound closed, finally.

"Yeah, my factor's been a little off since she dropped me." He said.

"Why didn't ya say somethin, ya big oaf?"

"I didn't want to worry you?"

"I need to run some tests." Hank said. They both groaned. They'd be in medlab the rest of the day.

Two hours, six brain scans and eighteen needles later, Jimmy came in.

"We couldn't find him, but we did find his nest. Do you think they are trying to take you out, or have they decided that they are just going to kill Rogue?"

"How the hell should I know. All I do know is they wanted her when I was their prisoner." He snarled.

"Well, I might have some answers to the other questions." Hank said as he walked back in from his lab.

Victor looked at him, almost holding his breath.

"Rogue has completely absorbed the healing factor as a part of her mutation, and the senses. She didn't absorb either of your claws because she got the genetics for the healing and senses from both of you, Logan, before she took the Cure, and Victor after.

"What?"

"Your mutation doesn't just take powers for a short period of time, through prolonged contact you can actually change your genetic structure to absorb their powers permanently, with most mutants, however, the length of time you would have to hold on would be fatal. With these two, it just knocked them out. You had almost completed the healing factor and sense graft when you took the Cure. It stopped the X-Gene from working, but it did not take away anything you'd already touched, as far as your genetic code is concerned, so when you touched Victor, it just latched onto the genes it needed to finish re-sequencing your DNA."

"So why can Victor touch me and not get drained again?"

"I theorize that has to do with the actual link between you and Victor, and it also explains why his factor was slow to heal himself when you were injured."

"What?" He growled.

"She is your mate, the bond that has formed between you is primarily empathic, and quite strong. From the brain scans, the area of the brain that links you two was highly active right after the incident, and then back to normal levels in the last scan. I believe you projected a part of your healing factor to your mate so she would heal first, part of your protective instincts."

"So, Ah've got a healin' factor of mah own, now, but Victor can speed it up?" Marie asked.

"Yes, and it is also how he can touch you, your mutation sees him as an extension of you, of your body. You cannot harm yourself, so it will not allow you to harm your mate."

Victor tried to process that. Her mutation thought he was a part of her, that could make things interesting. He glanced at her, and the look she was giving him. That did not bode well for his ability to pay attention to anything else.

"So he's the only one Ah can touch?"

"Until you get your mutation under control, most likely, yes." Hank said. Jimmy just glared at the three of them.

"Can we talk about security breaches now?"

"What's the matter, the little wifey not puttin out?" Victor sneered at James. Jimmy just glared back and shot the middle claw on his right hand out. Victor laughed. What started out as a crappy day, just got very interesting.


End file.
